Game Central Vault Hunters
by Alice Tannis- The Sixth Siren
Summary: Handsome Jack has invited the other games to try out his New- U stations that allow characters to respawn outside their game. Everything goes wrong, and the Core Four find themselves closely 'bonded' with the Vault Hunters. Another Monster is coming, and it looks like the Vault Hunters might need a bit of help. (Fem-Zer0 and Hero's Cuties.)
1. Chapter 1

Game Central Vault Hunters

Ralph woke slowly, his head throbbing. He felt soft, cold ground under him, and he opened his eyes. The snow blew violently around him. Where was he? He rose his head a bit higher, and noticed a funny little robot in front of him. "Another dead game character. Man, Handsome Jack's been busy." He scooped more snow over top of a body. The robot turned to face Ralph, and a joyful sound came from him. "Hey, you're not dead! Now I can finally get outta here!" Ralph pushed himself up, and glanced around.

Now he remembered. Handsome Jack had invited video game characters to try his new system. More like a game virise, but it benefitted the characters. It allowed them to 'respawn' outside of their own game.

He noticed three others spewn about. Fix-it Felix, Tamora Jean Calhoun, and Vanellope Von Schweetz. He hovered over Felix, and tapped his helmet lightly.

"Felix? Don't quit on me now." The short man rose his hat out of his face, and moaned painfully.

"Did we blow up?" Ralph laughed.

"Yes, we did. Now, help me wake up the others." Felix slowly got to his feet, and looked over at the now rambling robot. He cocked his head, but did ask questions. He just knew that he knew nothing of this game.

Calhoun was already picking herself off the ground when Ralph got to her, and she pushed his hand away. "I'm fine." She replied to his outstretched hand. He retracted it, and she stood. She looked around at the frozen space she was in, and turned her head toward the sound of a voice. Her eyes locked on the metal box in the center of the circular dip.

She was suspicious of it. "Who is that, and should I be worried you guys already screwed up?" She kept her eyes on the funky mechanical thing, as it talked endlessly. She looked over towards Felix, and a smile tickled at the corners of her mouth. He smiled back.

"There's my Dynamite Gal."

"And I found my Dynamite Guy." She turned to the opposite direction, and noticed the Sugar Rush princess laying face down in the crunchy snow. She laughed at her awkwardness.

Ralph hovered Vanellope, and spoke. "Hey, Sleeping Beauty! Get up." She stirred. She moaned, and her candy littered head turned sideways. She looked up at the large man above her. A fake smile spread across her face, then faded as she closed her eyes again. Raph rolled his eyes and grabbed the hood of her jacket.

She whined as he picked her up and put her on her feet. Vanellope stood limp for a minute, a small burn streaking across her face. She pushed her palms into her eyes. After a while, she stood up straight and followed Ralph toward the couple near the robot. They were laughing about something.

"But they were so _annoying_." Calhoun laughed as Felix tried to imitate something. He smiled as her voice rang softly through the cavernous indent in the clif. Calhoun's laugh was rarely heard, and it was soft and sweet when she wasn't doing it just for the flattery of the other person. Felix loved the sound.

"Is it bad that I enjoyed punching you? Of course, I wouldn't let _you_ know that." Calhoun smirked. Felix laughed at her.

"Only if you really didn't, ma'am." Both became serious as Ralph and Princess Schweetz approached. He looked up at her, and she smiled at him and looked down from the corner of her eye. She turned her attention back to the small electronic device talking to them.

"I'm a CL4P-TP steward bot, but my friends call me Claptrap! Take these!" He pulled small bracelet like devices from corpse's, and gave one to each. "Echo devices. Keep them on!" Each shrugged and pushed the screen onto their arm.

They formed closely around each wrist. "Interesting. Where are we, anyway?" Calhoun investigated the Echo, while still eyeing Claptrap. His eye moved around to set on her.

He noticed her for the first time, since he was more focused on their feet and talking. He didn't speak. Calhoun repeated the question, and he finally replied. "U-uh, Borderlands 2: Arcade Edition. You are… wow." Calhoun stayed straight faced. It was Felix all over again. At least he didn't remind her of her previous fiance.

"Thank you, but i'm taken. Married, actually." Claptrap made a sad noise, and Felix inched his hand toward hers. She wished he would just hurry up and hold it. She stretched her fingers open, and he interlocked them. She ran her other hand through her sandy blonde hair, and sighed. "Can we hurry this up? I have an army to run." Claptrap perked up.

"Of course! This way!" He began rolling through the snow, and each followed. Each noticed themselves and the others acting weirder as they came closer and closer to the edge of the stormy dip in the clif.

Vanellope was less excitable and even sensible. She seemed to be 'Ow' -ing a lot.

Ralph seemed a bit more impatient than usual, and he clipped ammo to the straps of his overalls.

Calhoun found herself pulling her visor over her face and darkening it, obscuring her features and covering the small part of her body still visible.

Felix was content with just walking and holding a gun in his hand, which he had taken from Calhoun's back, with much effort.

Claptrap seemed to notice, but said little more than murmurs. Something about Vault Hunters and Sanctuary? Anyway, they made it to Claptrap's little home, and he opened the door. The game characters entered a cave that smelled of death and oil. Calhoun flinched a bit, Felix made a few noises, Ralph shook it away, and Vanellope, of course, said something. "Hey, why does it smell like Stinkbrain in here?" Ralph rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"I dunno." Claptrap lead them into the largest part of the cavern. The reason became very apparent. Dead bodies and other Claptrap units littered the space. Claptrap moved as fast as possible to a door. He input a secret code, and it slid open, revealing a hidden fast travel. The floating words and lights gave it away.

Calhoun laughed. She had heard the words "I wish this game had a fast travel" too many times from the children playing Hero's Duty. Claptrap pushed a button on the machine, and it began clicking as it counted down. The last click hit, and the machine digistructed them.

The feeling of pixelation was awkward for Vanellope and Calhoun, being from newer, more realistic games, but Ralph and Felix had no problem with it. They faded away with odd sound from Vanellope, and a long, yet hidden shudder from Tamora.


	2. Chapter 2

Two

The machine whizzed and the Core Four's vision cleared. Each held their head. Ralph looked down expecting to see Felix and Vanellope, but instead he saw only feet and legs. He looked up and gasped. Felix and Vanellope were as tall as Tamora. Vanellope's jacket sleeve was glowing from the inside out. Felix had a box on his belt next to his hammer. Calhoun let go of her head and looked at the two.

She attempted to speak, but a signal just appeared on her visor. She shook her head confused. It was replaced. She attempted to push her emotion off the mask. It worked. She looked at Felix. Felix and Vanellope had recovered. He touched her mask.

"So this is what it's like looking someone in the eyes." He clipped the bottom of her mask apart and pulled it open. She smiled at him, confusion dotting her face. He kissed her, and she kissed him. She pushed him off noticing the eyes of the people around them. She pulled the mask back over her face.

Vanellope pulled up her sleeve. She screamed. Her arm glew, now covered in blue tattoos. She was taller, and looked about 22. Her candy littered hair was in a bun rather than a ponytail, and her boots now went up to her knees.

"Oh my lollipops! I look awful!" She pulled her hair back into a ponytail, and removed her hoodie. She tied it around her waist. The candy cane colored shirt under the hoodie made her look a bit more childish. She sighed. "It'll have to do. Why did this happen? Felix and I are giants, Tammy can't speak, and we have no idea where we are!"

Suddenly, Calhoun screamed. She held her head with both hands, and she shook. The icons on her mask were flashing like crazy. Felix held his head too, his eyes pushed tightly closed. Vanellope did the same soon after, and Ralph followed her. Before each character's eyes was blood, guns, and four other characters sitting at a table, speaking.

"The Vault can wait. We need to get Lilith back. Afterwards we'll Kill Handsome Jack and take revenge for Lilith, Roland a _nd_ Angel." Blue hair in a descending V cut shook as the woman talked. Vanellope's perspective was from behind this woman, as if she were a shadow. She turned around and looked right at Von Schweetz.

"What is it, Maya?"

"I though I felt something." She looked around the table. "Four somethings."

"I'm sure it's nothing. You're just stressed out. You were the closest to Lilith."

"I guess your right."

"Maybe you should retire?"

"Yeah." Maya stood, and Vanellope moved out of the way before Maya walked right through her. The sandy haired man who was talking to Maya stood. Felix peered around him.

"The access points to the chambers are here and here, but this one is covered up by lava, so unless you all want to be barbequed, I suggest the lava- free route."

"The only way I'm going in there, amigo, is if that Vault is gonna have loot."

"I'm sure it will, Sal."

"Then i'm in." Ralph watched from behind Salvador as he shook the sandy haired man's hand.

 _Meanwhile…_

Calhoun sat in a chair while the person in the full suit paced. She was intrigued by the behavior of this person. They spoke to themselves. After about 5 minutes of pacing they removed the helmet. The face underneath was female, and her brown hair was cut short so that it fit inside the helmet. She brushed her hair out of her face and looked down at the black mask in her hands.

She turned quickly towards Calhoun. "Hello." Calhoun made a surprised face. "I know you're here. Don't tell anyone, for your safety and mine. You will understand later. Please." She ended up right in Calhoun's face. She held her hand in the air right in front of her, and made a sign. "Don't take off your mask until I say. When you snap out of this, there will be a mark on your cheek. Let no one see it, until I say. Our lives depend on it. I know you trust your friends, but i'm not worried about them. I'm worried about my friends."

Calhoun was in shock of how much information was being given to her. The woman's eyes were pleading. But wasn't this a flashback of some sort? How could this person have known she would be here? Was this lady… giving _her_ orders? Tamora stood. The woman backed away, and her vision blurred.

Each shook their head, once more holding it. Tammy was going through a silent rage. She paced back and forth, screaming through the mask that quieted them. The only giveaway was the faint sounds that escaped. Felix touched the bottom of her mask again, and she slapped his hand away. She stopped, realizing what she did. She moved towards him, and he pulled back. She stared at him.

She cursed the game for taking her ability to speak. Felix turned away, and Jean let her hands fall back to her sides. She moved out of the small building, and sat down on a bench. Her legs crossed over one another, and he rested her face on her hands. She watched as the people walked past her.

This was a pitiful town. Every person was as run down as the buildings they walked past. Each looked her over as they walked by, her off proportions baffling them. This was obviously not a game where people were unrealistically placed. She crossed her arms. These people were worse than most. No wonder they never left this game.

The funny robot who brought them here circled the large archway in the center of the city. She traced his wheel marks with her eyes. She sat alone, but could feel that she was not alone. She touched her cheek through the mask.

 _Meanwhile…_

Felix and Ralph talked as Vanellope watched the people walk past the door. Tamora had walked off, and she decided to do the same. Besides, she was a woman now. It's not like Ralph could tell her what to do. The people stared at her while she walked down the street.

One person watched her from a balcony. Her face was washed with surprize and concern. She turned, walking back into the building. Vanellope was completely confused. Felix and Ralph came up behind her.

"Someone's up there."

"Of course there is. They probably live there."

"No, they were watching me."

"Because everyone else isn't?"

"Ralph, i'm serious. I need to know who they are." She began to move towards the door. She was met. She came eye to eye with her. The woman's expression changed as Vanellope's new tattoos shimmered across her skin. She grabbed her wrist, and pulled her into the room. She slammed the door and looked down at Vanellope, whom she had thrown on the ground.

"Who are you and why do yo-"

"Maya!" The woman was cut off as another person moved down the stairs.

"Lily, look at this! You expect me not to use fo-" The redhead held up a hand. Maya put her hands behind her back, and Vanellope felt her embarrassment and anger. She didn't want to listen, but she knew she had to. She looked at the Blue haired person, and she took the redhead's hand. "Thank you."

"No problem. Hey, Maya? Why don't you go relax. I'll take care of this."

"Fine. But don't expect me to sit and read."

"I never do." Lily rolled her eyes. "Go spar with Brick or drink with Mordy, but do something to enjoy your time. You been working yourself to death."

"I ain't dead yet."

Vanellope watched as the girl moved up the stairs. "My name is Lilith, and that was Maya. Hey, Tannis?"

"What now, Lilith?"

"Well, come look. Not like you're doing anything." Tannis walked around the corner, and she looked at Vanellope with uninterest.

"So, Maya got a new outfit. Thanks for showing me."

"This isn't Maya. She's upstairs."

"Really? Let me see." Tannis moved so that she was in front of Von Schweetz. She circled her, eyeing her new tattoos. "No wonder I thought it was Maya. Her tattoos are exact copies of her's."

Suddenly, Ralph pushed the door open, and the top hinge popped. He grabbed Vanellope from off the ground, and put her on his back. "Ralph, no! They're fine! The other one was just confused!" Ralph looked up at her, then back to the people in front of him.

Tannis had the most indescribable face of happiness and rush, as well as being a bit shocked. Lilith's hand was raised, but she was shielding her face. It was facing Ralph's face, and it glowed viciously. The orange light filled the room. Tannis put a hand in front of Lily, and she let her hand fall back to her side. The light faded, and Tannis circled Ralph, too.

"What game are you guys from?"

"Stinkbrain here is from Fix- it Felix Jr. and i'm from Sugar Rush. Felix is here, too. T.J. ran off. She's from Hero's… Duty." She laughed to herself, and Lilith rolled her eyes. Tannis shinned.

"Game mutation. Interesting. I'll need go figure it out, like I always do when something goes wrong."

Felix came through the door, and he too was examined. "I had no luck, Ralph. Couldn't find her."

 _Later…_

"Still no word from your wife?"

"Nope. She can handle herself though. Tammy's fine." Felix had come to be acquainted with Lilith quickly, and they both stood on the balcony.

"So, how'd you and a military chick get together? You don't seem like the kinda guy to go for women like that."

"I may have snuck into her game looking for Ralph, and startled her. She tripped me and that's when I first saw her face. 'Flattery don't charge these batteries', she'd said. She was lying. She loves it when I compliment her. Anyway, while chasing after Ralph and a loose cybug we ended up in Sugar Rush, where we met Vanellope. She and I didn't know about double stripes, and it disappeared from under us, and we fell into quicksand. I freaked out, and she backhanded me, and that caused the laughy taffy above us to stretch as it laughed, getting closer and closer. I told her to hit me again, and she protested. I finally convinced her, and we got into a sort of pattern. Punch, Hammer, Punch, Hammer. Finally, the taffy reached us, and I grabbed it, then her, using the taffy to pull us out. There was a kiss in there somewhere. You know, whatever."

"Wish my story was as crazy as that." Lilith nodded. "But you know, Roland… Roland was…" she sighed, "yeah." She fought back tears. Felix heard it in her voice. One escaped, and it rolled down her cheek. She fiercely cursed herself and wiped it away with the heel of her hand.

Felix knew how Lily was, fiery and strong. He knew that she hated it when she couldn't even talk about Roland or her father or anything else because it made her… _human_. She didn't want to be like everyone else.

She was the leader of The Raiders now, and every time Roland came up, or respawned for that matter, she could barely hold together. He was only around for about two minutes every gameplay, and she hated that. Seeing him die over and over was hard for her.

"I know that I can't understand, because i've never had to live this, but I imagine it's hard and scary. Just remember, Lilith, even you need to feel. You aren't some mindless animal. You are human, and your... _disability_ doesn't give you the right to belittle yourself for feeling." Felix looked over at her, smiling. "Remember what he meant to you, and use that to push you forward, not hold you back."

Lilith looked back at him, still on the brink of crying. "I try, Felix, I do. I have to stay hard for the others, though."

"But this hits _you_ the hardest. Think about it, Lily. He's your boyfriend, and you watch him _die_. Just promise me you'll give yourself time to… be human, for once."

"Can that be now?"

"Of course." Lilith let her tears come, after that. Her head met Felix's shoulder, and her hugged her.

"I just… I wish i'd done _something_."

"Your doing something now. Mourning. You need this."

"Yes, I do." She lifted her head, and pushed her palms into her orange- gold eyes. Felix brushed her hair out of her face.

"Tammy is going to like you. You two are the same type of person. You remind me of her." Lilith laughed through her tears.

"Where is she, anyway?"


	3. Chapter 3

Three

 _Somewhere near Opportunity…_

"What is this place?"

"That's not important. What matters is that you're here. Did you keep the mark out of sight?"

"Yeah, but I don't get what's so important about it."

"You'll see." Calhoun and Zer0 stood in front of a building hidden under the city. Zer0 had removed her helmet. She found the intercom, and pressed the button.

"Hey, Jack? It's Zer0. I brought them."

"Great! Come on in, pumpkin." The door heavily slid open, and the two stepped inside. Zer0 guided Jean through a maze- like office. They quickly found Jack's office.

Jack greeted them with a huge smile. He grabbed Zer0 and pulled her into a kiss. She pushed away, and looked at him in a way that wasn't quite interpretable. She smiled at him after a minute.

"I know. not in front of others. So, you're Tamora Jean Calhoun? It's so nice to meet you."

Tammy nodded.

"Zer0 brought you here because you have something, or rather someone, with you that I need to see."

Zer0 touched her shoulder. "Take it off." Calhoun clicked the bottom of the mask apart with her fingers, and then decided to remove the whole helmet instead. She let it roll out of her hand, the cold air of the office rolling over her face. She opened her eyes, and Jack smiled. The mark shifted, and she lost her vision as well as control of her body. She latched her hand around his throat, digging her nails into it. A purple tinge came to her fingers, and they it spread to Jack's neck. Her eyes went black, and the voice that came from her was not her own.

"Please tell me it hurts, Jack. Imagine how we felt. Imagine thousands of gallons of this at once." Jack smiled through the pain.

"Evon and Angel. I knew i'd see you again."

"Shut up! You make me sick. How could you do this to us? Kill us over a stupid Vault?"

"Evon, I loved you both."

"Lier! You didn't love us! You just used us," Her grip tightened, "and charged us," Blood began to run down his neck and over her fingers. "and treated us like tools!" Tammy threw him, and her eyes turned lavender.

"I'm trying, dad, I am. Mom is quite a bit stronger at the moment. Just hold out for another minute." Her eyes turned dark again.

"Jack, why? Why are you such a… mmm. If our daughter weren't here…" Tamora stepped on his chest and he choked. He pushed her leg off him and stood up.

"Listen, I know you hate me, but I didn't have a choice."

"But you did!You could have let me take her away like I asked, but you forced us to stay!"

"I know, and that was because I knew that if I let you go, you'd be killed by Hyperion!" She sighed.

"If I were myself, you'd be dead."

"I know." Her eyes changed to lavender again.

"Mom let go. I'm going to shut us both down. I love you, dad."

"I love you both." Tamora's eyes faded to her normal crisp blue, and she collapsed. Zer0 picked her up, and she held her head.

"She's back. Jack take her, so I can get rid of the mark." Jack took Jean's arm.

"Do you have to?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Nothing. Go ahead." Zer0 removed the mark, and Tammy left with her.

"Goodbye, Jack. I'll see you soon."

"Of course."


	4. Chapter 4

Four

"Where the heck have you two been?" Lilith stood in front of Zer0 and Tamora.

"Pandora took us/ She lead us home to you/ that's all that matters."

"Fine. Don't tell me. Zer0, Axton looking for you. Sniper challenge or something." Zer0 nodded. She exited the room.

"So, Tamora… what were you two doing?"

"I'm banned from telling."

"By whom?"

"Zer0."

"Right. So, the great Sergeant Calhoun isn't talking because someone she just meet said so?".

"No, actually. There are some other reasons, too."

"Like?"

"I don't feel like it, and it's sorta odd, and i'm not even really sure what happened… so."

"Oh my god, Jean. What did you do?" Lilith smiled.

"Not what you're thinking, that's for sure."

Lily shrugged. "I tried."

"Did you now?"

"Oh, shut up. If we're going to do this, we need Moxxi."

"Go get her, then."

"I will." Lilith and Calhoun walked off in separate directions, and Tamora smiled. ' _I haven't done this since the last time I partied to hard.'_ "This is gonna be _fun_."

"What?" Ralph was in the room, and she hadn't noticed him.

"Uh, nothing, nothing."

"Really? What's the smile for?" Jean realized that she _was_ smiling, and she wiped it away.

"Lilith and I are just gonna have a little challenge. With Moxxi."

"Wow, ok. What did you do with the Sarge?"

"Excuse me?"

"Calhoun would never accept a challenge including a person like Moxxi!"

"You don't know what I do with my friends."

"I do." Felix came from around the corner, Vanellope following. "You sing and dance and party like a teenager, is what you do."

"Felix, shut up!"

Vanellope smiled, and then began to chant. "Sing and dance! Sing and dance!" Calhoun looked surprised as the other two joined in.

"Wait! There will be no singing. Or dancing. Or singing."

They continued, and Felix broke away. "Come on, Tammy!"

She sighed. She drew in a breathe, but let go of it when Lilith and Moxxi came up behind her. The others stopped, too.

"Ok, then. Tamora, Mox wants to know if it'd be alright if we got some others in this, too."

"Uh, yeah. Sure."

"You alright, Sugar?"

"Yes. Let's just go." Tamora walked out of the room with Moxxi, and Lilith turned, bottles hid behind her back. She followed them out and smiled at the others as she rounded the corner out of the room, and winked.

"Oh no." Felix's eye's widened.

"What?"

"Let's just say Tammy's isn't good with drinks and other people at the same time…"

(Sorry update took forever, but i've been working on Origins of Alice Tannis and had like three vacations back to back. So sorry, guys!)


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